Life-saving suit.



P. A MOFFITT. LIFE SAVING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6,1914.

Patentd Jan. 5, 1915.

s/Wnwew THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHuTO-LITHQ, WASHING TON. Q. C.

FRANK A. MOFFITT,

O1? CHICAGO, ILLINOIfi.

LIFE-SAVING SUIT.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed April 6, 1814. Serial No. 828,896.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK A. Morrrrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Suits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to suits designed for life-saving purposes, and its object is to provide a suit which can be quickly slipped on, and which is water-proof. The suit is in two parts, with a novel water-tight joint therebetween. The entire body of the wearer is incased and thus protected against wet and cold.

With the herein stated object in view, the invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the suit, partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross-section showing the joint between the upper and lower portions of the suit, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a head covering.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the suit is composed of an upper part or acket 5, and a lower part or pantaloons 6 having integral boots 7. The boots have heavy metal soles 8. The sleeves of the jacket have tight fitting wrist portions 9 over which gloves or mittens lOare slipped. The jacket also has a tight fitting bell-shaped collar 11 with sufficient fullness below the same so that the clothing and the movement of the wearers body will not pull the collar away from the neck. Around the waist is secured a life-preserver belt 12 which extends under the arms. Straps 18 run from the legs to a waist encircling belt 14: or connection on the pantaloons. These straps are looped at their lower ends to pass under the boots and they extend upward to the belt 14: on the outside of the legs. To the belt 14- are also attached two straps 15 which cross at the chest portion of the jacket and pass over the shoulders and extend down to the rear portion of the belt. At the crossing of the straps is a ring 16 for the attachment of a line for lowering or lifting the wearer.

in order to provide a water-tight joint between the upper and lower portions of the suit, the following structure is provided: On the outside of the waist band of the pantaloons 6 is fastened an encircling ring 17 having an outstanding horizontal flange 18. On the inside of the waist band is an encircling rin l9. Rivets or other suitable fastenings passing through the rings 17 and 19 and the waist band therebetween secure said parts together. To the flange 18, on top thereof, is secured a ring 20 having an upstanding flange 21 which encircles the ring 17 in spaced relation. In the bottom of the annular space between the ring 17 and the flange 21 is placed a ring 22 of rubber or other suitable packing material. To the bottom portion of the jacket 5 are secured stiffening members comprising inner and outer rings 23 and 2%, respectively, between which said bottom portion of the jacket is held by rivets or other fastening means 25 passin through said parts. The reinforced lower portion of he jacket is adapted to enter the annular space between the ring 17 and the flange 21, and it is forced down to seat against the packing ring 22 by means of a bolt 26 pivoted at 27 to the outer edge of the flange 18 and passing through a slot 28 in the outer edge of a flange 29 projecting horizontally outward from the ring 24%. nut 30 is screwed on the bolt 26 above the flange 29, and upon screwing the nut down against the flange, the reinforced bottom edge of the jacket is firmly clamped against the packing ring 22, and a water-tight joint is produced between the upper and lower portions of the suit. This joint as shown is made of angle iron but if made in large quantities would be cast to desired shape. A head covering 81 is also provided which extends down over the shoulders, and has a front sight opening on the outside of which is mounted a sliding window 32, which may be closed or opened. Along the sides of the window opening are racks 33 engageable by catches 33 for holding the window in adjusted position.

Above the window is a vizor 8d. The covering is supported on the head of the wearer by a ring 35 mounted inside the same near the top, and spaced from the front portion by a spacing device 35. The top of the head covering also has a ventilator 36, over the outer end of which extends a guard 37.

The head covering extends down to the shoulders and fits against the head at the back and sides, but extends out from the face in front.

It is to be understood, of course, that the suit and the head covering are to be made out of rubber or some other suitable material which is Water-proof.

I claim:

1. A life-saving suit comprising a separate upper body incasing part and a lower leg incasing part a reinforcing ring secured to the bottom edge of the body incasing part and having an outstanding flange Which is slotted, a seat at the top of the leg incasing part to receive the reinforced bottom edge of the body incasing part, a packing in the seat, bolts pivoted to the seat and adapted to be passed through the slots of the aforesaid flange, and means for tightening the bolts.

2.'A life-saving suit comprising a separate upper body incasing part and a lower leg incasing part, a reinforcing ring secured to the bottom edge of the body incasing part, a ring secured to the top of the leg incasing part and having an outstanding flange, a ring mounted on said flange and having an upstanding flange encircling the first-mentioned ring in spaced relation, a

packing in the space between the first-men tioned ring and the encircling flange, into FRANK A. MOFFITT. Witnesses Si J. LEHRER, HQ G. BATCHELOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

